34/36 weeker?!

During my last pregnancy I had a few serious complications relating to my uterus..... without getting too detailed, it is incredibly weak and puts me at an increased chance of rupture.

The doctor who I'm currently seeing wants me to have a csection at between 34-36 weeks...depending on how my uterus is holding up.

Having had preemies, even my 36 weeker spent 4 weeks in the NICU. I just don't breed children with well developed lungs, and the csection doesn't help.

The doctor basically said that respiratory distress is a temporary problem, while a uterine rupture is likely a death sentence for myself and/or baby.

Despite this, I just can't wrap my mind around intentionally having a preemie......

I will go to others doctors for second opinions. However, I don't see them allowing me to go to 37-38 weeks.

The risk of rupture is about 1% if I go into any kind of labor. If I rupture, I have about 15 minutes from that point to have baby taken out..... the odds are very low for any kind of catastrophic incident, really.

I see both sides here, and really want to make the most informed decision possible.......

No. The 2 different doctors I saw (regular OB and peri) both said that steroids are useless after 34 weeks and therefore my ins won't cover them.

However, 2 of my 4 were born in the 34-36 week time frame, and both had leather lung and spent a while in the nicu. The neonatologist in both situations said that steroids would have benefited them, since they both needed surfactant...which is what the steroids help produce

If they ate planning on delivering you earlier can't they give you the steroids earlier? I don't know much about it...

My guy was born at 36w1d and although he was fine I wasn't looking for him to be early. At the same time his second cousin was born at 38 weeks and under 5 lbs as they docs missed something (pre-e?) In mom... so it is good to be getting a high level of care and observation.

If they ate planning on delivering you earlier can't they give you the...

Posted
08/04/2014

If they ate planning on delivering you earlier can't they give you the steroids earlier? I don't know much about it...

My guy was born at 36w1d and although he was fine I wasn't looking for him to be early. At the same time his second cousin was born at 38 weeks and under 5 lbs as they docs missed something (pre-e?) In mom... so it is good to be getting a high level of care and observation.

Hard choice...

The problem is that steroids are a temporary fix, so if I get them at 32 weeks they will no longer be working by the time I deliver. If I get them at 34 weeks, they won't "help" baby.

It's such a crappy situation.

I had GD, and one was delivered early due to preE. Both of those baby mies had underdeveloped lungs, but perhaps partially because GD babies take longer for organ development.

Theoretically, if I stick to a really really strict diabetic diet from day 1, my baby will have better organ development and may be able to bypass some of the more concerning aspects of prematurity.

Kinda of in the same position. My OB wants to deliver at 37 weeks due to risk of rupture. I'm really not seeing why when the risk is less than 1%. I would not do it at 34 weeks for only a 1% chance, that seems risky to me! But, I'm in the same slump with my OB bc we disagree.

I was scheduled for a c-section on July 6th (with a due date of July 27th, so roughly 3 weeks early) and was to go in and get the steroids on July 4th. I didn't make it that far - placental abruption on June 14th - but my point is can't they schedule for the c-section at 36 weeks and have you get the steroids right before? Are you sure the insurance won't cover them if it's at 36 weeks because I was never told they wouldn't cover mine and like I said, that would've been at about 37 weeks for me. Wishing you the best of luck! Having a preemie and a NICU baby is not easy!

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